Video Contest Entry Deadline Fast Approaching

The final day to submit an entry to FIRE’s "Freedom on Campus" video contest—and the chance to win a $5,000 scholarship—is less than a month away. Entering is easy: you just have to be a registered student at a U.S. college or university, you must make a short video (under 10 minutes) about a First Amendment rights issue at your school or at another one, and you must fill out the entry form and submit it either online or through the mail by November 15, 2008.

We’ve received a lot of questions about what kinds of instances of speech violations are acceptable for documenting on video. Examples include times when someone has been punished because of his or her speech, student newspapers have been stolen or vandalized, student groups were not allowed to associate, where speech was confined to a "free speech zone," or when students have investigated and protested campus policies that violate students’ rights. To see what kinds of cases FIRE has previously dealt with, view our own documentaries at thefire.org/multimedia or see our extensive case listings, organized by issue.

A $5,000 scholarship will be awarded to the producer of the best student video. The winner will also receive video exposure on FIRE and CFN websites and an all-expenses-paid invitation to FIRE’s 2009 Campus Freedom Network Conference in Philadelphia, where the winner will meet with prominent free speech advocates, FIRE staff members, and other top students from around the country. $1,000 prizes will be awarded to two runners-up.

If you have an idea for a video but aren’t sure if it’s what we’re looking for, feel free to email us at contests@thefire.org and we’ll try to answer all your questions. We look forward to seeing your entry!